I recently had a few days in Panama City, Panama – it was hot and overcast most of the time I was there, but that made for a few extremely ominous photos of the downtown central banking district.
And of course I had to stop for a few photos of the Panama sign (#6 on the list of the Top 21 Things You Must Do in Panama City).
All images in this post were photographed with a Sony a6300 mirrorless and the kit lens (you can still get this awesome camera on Amazon for just under $900).

Fishing boats and city skyline of Panama City, Panama

Panama City, High Rise Tower Skyline

Panama City, High Rise Tower Skyline

The Panama Sign, Panama City, Panama

The Panama Sign, Panama City, Panama

The Panama Sign, Panama City, Panama

The Panama Sign, Panama City, Panama

Hand woven bracelets in market Panama City, Panama

Hand woven bracelets in market Panama City, Panama
I personally found Panama City, Panama to be an odd place to visit.
First, Panama City, Panama (not to be confused with Panama City, Florida) is often compared to Miami Florida. While I can see the resemblance in the highrise condo towers along the waterfront – Panama City does not have a beach – which is a pretty big difference compared to Miami Beach.
Second, Panama City is in the middle of an ongoing construction boom with new oceanfront high rise residential condominiums being built in the Punta Paitilla, Punta Pacifica, Costa del Este and San Francisco neighbourhoods.
While investors insist that these condos are primarily purchased by offshore investors from the United States, Canada and Europe.
However, there is a sneaking suspicion that much of this development is fueled by drug money flowing north from neighbouring Colombia and shady offshore banking and investment money – as exposed by the Panama Papers and the corrupt offshore finance industry.
While all these shiny glass condo towers look great from a distance, up close many of the older ones are neglected, many have never been maintained, there are scores of abandoned construction projects – and most revealing – at night there are hardly any lights on – nobody actually uses them!
Unless you’re a corrupt rich oligarch or drug cartel (it’s no accident that there is a Trump Tower Panama), after just a few days I can tell you with certainty that there is no way I would invest in real estate in Panama City, Panama – this is a house of cards waiting to crash.
Having said that – the people of Panama City Panama were great, and I really miss the fresh Ceviche from the Mercado de Mariscos (Fish Market).
All images from this session are available for royalty free licensing at Stocksy United.